Senne Leysen looks forward to the Tour of Flanders: "This is a childhood dream"

Published on 5 April 2019

The Tour of Flanders edition 103 takes place on Sunday, April 7, with Roompot – Charles Cycling Team as one of the 25 participating teams. Senne Leysen is looking forward to his first ‘Vlaanderens Mooiste’: “Racing here has been a childhood dream.”

Senne Leysen, 23 years old and in his second season as a professional cyclist, will be riding the ‘Flemish High Mass’ for the first time on Sunday, although the course has few secrets for him. “I think I know the entire hill zone by now”, he says. “We’ve frequently raced here over the past months and last year. But the intensity will be a lot higher on Sunday, expects the young rider: “I’ve heard from many riders that the public interest, the crowd on the course, is really crazy. Riding here has always been one of my childhood dreams.”

In the Driedaagse Brugge – De Panne, a couple of weeks ago, Leysen showed himself in the breakaway. “It would be nice to be in a small group up front again on Sunday. Of course, there’ll be more riders to attempt that in the Tour of Flanders. But if given the opportunity, I’ll certainly try to be in the breakaway.”

The teams presentation and unofficial start will take place in the old centre of Antwerp, the official start is in Burcht, on the left bank of the river Scheldt. The finish line is 267 km further away in Oudenaarde. Along the course, the riders will pass five cobbled sections and 17 cataloged climbs, each with iconic names. The Oude Kwaremont will have to be climbed three times, the Paterberg twice. The last hurdle, the third ascent of the Paterberg, is only 13 km from the finish. The difference can be made there for the last time.

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